


My Shining Star

by BrownSugarC



Category: NCIS: New Orleans
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:35:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26555209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrownSugarC/pseuds/BrownSugarC
Summary: It took 18 months but Chris La Salle was finally able to return to duty after nearly dying after being shot by his brother's killer.   King was so proud of him that he had worked so hard to get back into physical shape, but the Director had serious doubts but listened to his head shrink Jack Sloan and the Senior Field Agent.  For some reason Tammy bore the brunt of his frustration and with that burden warned others just to stay way until he was back on his feet.  To his dismay, he had no idea that warning was heeded by his former partner Sonja Percy.  Fate finally allowed their reunion.  And that is where this story begins.
Relationships: Christopher LaSalle/Sonja Percy
Kudos: 2





	1. Say What?

Chris LaSalle was dead tired. No one could have told him that the two-hour time difference would make his behind drag. Going clubbing at his age might be a stretch but he wanted to fit in, so he tagged along. They had been assigned a project that would culminate at the Hartfield Field Airport in Atlanta. His plan was to get some sack time, but his roommate had other plans.

‘Diamond’ the promotional board had said. But it was the photo that stopped him dead cold in his tracks. The woman in the picture was his old partner, Sonja Percy. She looked so different in the evening gown, swept up hair doo and more make up than LaSalle had seen on a movie star, but this was his City Mouse.

Percy had sung her last song but returned to the stage for an encore. Chris found it hard to believe that her voice was almost as strong as when she first started singing ninety minutes before. “Thank you for coming out to hear me tonight” she said. “I end my shows with this wonderful song entitled ‘Our Love’ which was written by Charlie Jackson and Marvin Yancy and made popular by the late Natalie Cole. I don’t know if you have ever had an undisclosed secret love, but I did. I thought of him as my own shining star. My Country Mouse was an expert at what he did, and I miss him greatly every day.”

More than star struck, Chris was speechless. Her what he thought? It was a beautiful song. LaSalle hung on her every word.

Chris remained seated as the rest of the audience rose to their feet. He was contemplating what to do next. He had seen a money machine when they entered the restaurant so he knew he could get cash for a ride back to the motel. 

“So, where are you guys headed next” Chris asked? There were several suggestions and they quickly called the server and paid their tabs. “Well you guys knew I was tired before I left the hotel, I think I just catch a car service back there.” LaSalle walked them to the door and watch as they all walked to the vehicle. He then hurried to the gift shop. Nah, one rose will please her just as well the whole dozen he thought to himself. He waited a few minutes while the attendant put the yellow rose in a vase with the proper amount of greenery and then wrapped it.

LaSalle was greeted backstage by a burly sort. He suspected by the hair cut that this guy was most likely government too. He told him that he knew Diamond from a previous time in their lives and asked him to give her his business card. The door had barely closed when Sonja Percy came busting through it. She said nothing but grasped his free hand and pulled him into her dressing room.

“Christopher! Chris LaSalle. How wonderful to see you”. He did not know who grabbed who but suddenly she was in his arms. He was not sure how long he held her but figured out if he could realize that she had ‘that’ perfume on, that it was long enough.

“Look I have a suite upstairs. Why don’t you come up with us while I take a shower?”

‘Us’, he responded with an asked question in his voice?

“Yeah. You saw Cleveland out there. He is my partner on this escapade. We have a two-bedroom suite.”

LaSalle grabbed a magazine as soon as he sat down. He had barely gotten halfway through it when Sonja reappeared dressed as glamorous as any model he seen in the periodical. He could see all her curves.

“Looks like you keep up your fitness routine Percy, you look fabulous” he exclaimed!

“Thanks Chris. I work at it. It is challenging when I am deployed overseas. I cannot get out of character and really cannot afford to be without the side arm.”

“So how are you Country Mouse. You look fantastic. And what in the world are you doing in Georgia?”

“Well, you have nerve yourself City Mouse. Aren’t you stationed in Washington? I am detailed to the Southeast Field office for a month. I am working on a taskforce that is reviewing Airports where military aircraft land in a primary, alternative, or emergency status. We ended up with the Nashville International airport because it is the home of an airlift wing. Incase of a national emergency, Navy planes may need to land there. Atlanta of course feeds most of the smaller cities in the south as well as flying into major transportation hubs all over the country. We did the smaller ones first and are back two weeks later to do Atlanta to wrap it all up.

“And you?” he asked mysteriously.

“Well, I can tell you just a little. I am working on a cover. I will have photos and reviews for doing clubs in this part of the Country. I have this weekend and next here in Atlanta and will go to a couple of military bases complete with a photo shoot and fan photos to make it more believable. Plus, the musicians have some work to do with the music for my act. It is still a little rough.”

Suddenly there was a pregnant pause. LaSalle was trying to decide if he was going to broach her stage show dedication but decided not to. He was trying to stifle his yawns, but they were starting to get away from him.

“So, what is on your plate for tomorrow Christopher?” 

“Not much, we have a team meeting at 1300. Speaking of which I better head on back.”

“No don’t do that. You look like you are about the same size as my guitar player. Let me check with him and see if he has some sweats you can borrow and we can drop you back at your hotel after breakfast.”

“That sounds great Sonja. Thanks.”

LaSalle realized that he should have been ready for a restless night. First, he was not only stunned to see Sonja again but was still a little in shock over her public announcement about her ‘lost friend’. Then again, the pull-out bed was very lumpy. He had been as giddy as a schoolboy at having had her in his arms again.

LaSalle was finally able to drift off to sleep only to be awaken by a knock at the door. The ‘sidekick’ had ordered breakfast in. Sonja appeared shortly with that smile of hers. “Hey Country Mouse why don’t you go into my room and change. You can take a shower if you want. The complimentary soap is in the first drawer on the left.”

LaSalle felt more awake after a quick shower. He was greeted with Sonja singing one of his favorite songs. Humm. She had remembered. She had included it in her show too.

“So, what are you up for Chris? I know you like to eat! We can go across the street to the Waffle House.”

“Sounds like a plan” he replied. LaSalle was not sure how he managed to eat all the food on his plate. They talked for over an hour. 

“Are you ready to head back to your hotel” she asked. Yeah, I want to get some clean clothes on and check my messages. What time is your first show tonight? 

“9 p.m. We warm up about 8:30. I already know what I am going to wear tonight. Would you mind if I tag along with you for a while?”

“Of course not.” The courtesy van dropped them both off at his hotel. “Sorry Percy, I’m not living as large as you seem to be.” Sonja reviewed a tourist brochure while LaSalle shaved and got dressed.

“I’m going to give a quick update to my team leader. Make yourself at home Percy.” Ten minutes later he was back. “Hey, we can take public transportation into the City and not have to worry about parking or the traffic.”

They both enjoyed the outing. Sonja excitedly expressed what she liked best. Chris was simply happy to be with her again.

She had checked up on him often while he recovered from the gun shots. He knew she was a good friend, but he felt while visiting with her over the internet or on the phone that she was only going to get ‘so involved’ with him this time. He had not believed that she couldn’t have gotten one weekend to come see him in person in New Orleans or Alabama. He had to let it go when his momma asked what he expected from her and he could not honestly answer the question to her piercing eyes.

Chris changed his clothes once again and then drove them both back to her hotel. They had a light dinner in the hotel restaurant and then it was time for Sonja to start getting ready for the evening. Chris had to do a double take when she came out of her room. The extensive make up and eyelashes turned her into a different vision of beauty. Her show that night mirrored what she had done Friday night minus the special dedication of her encore song. He chuckled to himself as he waited for her to take her make up off and change her clothes that she must have realized that he had heard her the night before.

They had considered what they might do after her show but ended up staying in her suite. They had planned to go the Olympic Centennial park on Sunday. Sonja moved her return trip to 10 p.m. giving them a considerable about of time to spend together. LaSalle dropped her off at the Airport. He was comforted by the fact that it would be just a few days until he would see her again.

The next weekend mirrored the first one. Sunday, they toured the Underground and all the little shops.

They promised to keep in touch with each other as they walked through the airport. Once again, he gave her a tight hug and then watched her walk down the jetway.

Chris was surprised how drawn he had felt to her. His attention turned to his long recovery time and then realized exactly why she had not come to see him in Alabama. He remembered the day he was working in the hospital with the physical therapist and Tammy came in. He was frustrated and angry when he almost fell. He lashed out at her and snarked for her not to come back until he called and told her he could walk again just fine. He could only have guessed that she had conveyed that encounter with Sonja. No wonder she never came he thought. It would be months later before he broached that time of his life with her and confirmed that his assessment of that moment was spot on.


	2. The Visit

Chris and the team spent one more week in the field then spent another one writing the report. Most of the team had family back at their duty stations waiting for them so Chris thought he would give them all a break and volunteered to take the final report to Washington and brief the Director.

He had called Percy before he booked his flight, but she never responded. Oh, well, he thought. She has a life too.

He was looking through his final briefing notes in the waiting room outside the Director’s office when his cell phone rang. He did not recognize the government number but answered it quickly. “Hey, you” the smiling voice said. It was Percy. “I was on assignment. I hope I didn’t miss you.” 

“No, not really but I am preparing to meet with the Director. Can I call you back?”

The briefing went well with Director Vance and his intel personnel. He thanked them all and told them to have a good weekend and that he really hoped he would not have to see them again until Monday. LaSalle realized that they had difficult jobs too. While it was not on a regular basis, he caught the news or saw a headline in a printed publication outlining a hot spot somewhere in the world. He figured that Department had at least some residual responsibility in half of them.

“Agent LaSalle, I need to speak with you for a moment”. LaSalle was concerned when he saw the serious look that had made its way to the Director’s face. “I know that this is your first assignment outside of your duty station since you returned to desk duty. How is it going” he asked?

“Well, okay. I would rather be back out on the street with the rest of the team in New Orleans. I think I am almost at 100%. I followed the exercise program to the letter and am back up to a mile and a half in my jogging.”

“Yes, Agent LaSalle, I have read all the fitness for duty reports on you, however we need to get you back in with an ‘in-house’ counselor ”. Chris knew by counselor he meant a ‘shrink’. “While I appreciate the Navy providing you with mental health counseling there in New Orleans and the Naval Air Station in Meridian, I would like for you to get some hours in with our inhouse forensic psychologist Jack Sloane. She will see you at 0900 hours on Monday.” 

“You can come in tomorrow and file your paperwork for your expense account. By the way, I am hosting a reception Saturday evening. I am hoping that you brought a business suit with you so you will feel comfortable attending. Here is an information sheet on the where and when. And you are more than welcomed to bring a ‘plus one’ if you wish.”

“Thank you again Agent LaSalle. I am was incredibly pleased with the report and with the responses that you gave to the staff and their volume of questions.”

Chris waited until he was back in his rental car to return Percy’s call. “Hey City Mouse. Looks like you are going to be stuck with me for another week. Do you think you could find some time for an old friend?”

“Of course, Chris. I do not have to be back into the office until Tuesday. Look, I really need to lie down. Why don’t we try to get together tomorrow? I am sure that I will be asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.”

LaSalle called his hotel to ensure that he could extend his stay for nine days. With that all settled, he decided that he would go to a theatre production somewhere in the city.

He could have kicked himself on Friday when he missed his turn to NCIS headquarters. He still did not know why he did not ask for directions on his phone but he ‘knew where he was’ but not really. He signed the last re-imbursement form when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Disappointed, he answered it anyway. It was Gregorio. She worse than his mother he thought. He could understand his mother getting clingy given she had just lost one of her sons and the other one had been injured in his dangerous job, but Tammy had become a pain in the butt.

“No one had heard from you Chris and I was just wondering if you needed a ride from the Airport tomorrow.”

“I am not coming back for another week now Tammy. I spoke with King just after I left my briefing with the Director. No, I am okay. Director Vance just had something else he wanted me to do” he said not lying.

“I need to go Tammy. I am having lunch with Mc Gee and Bishop and I see him waiving at me.” LaSalle was glad that these two were not smothering him. Ellie had suggested a Cajun restaurant in Georgetown. Right in the middle of their meal, Sonja called. He was able to arrange to meet her at 6 p.m. at her condo.

Dinner worked out well. He had overeaten at lunch, so he was able to eat a modest dinner while watching Sonja down her normal no-nothing meal. He asked how much weight she had lost and was surprised when she said none. She had stepped up her exercise regimen admitting that she had stay in tip top shape not knowing what physically dangerous and scary situations she could find herself in. 

“Hey by the way” he started out “the Director is hosting an affair tomorrow night. He told me that I could bring a guest. Would you like to go? You already know Bishop, McGee, and that pain in the butt Torres and there is a new tech in the lab who would probably love to meet you.

“Are you talking about Kasie” she asked?

“Yes, how did you guess?”

“She is not new to me. I ran into her at a training session that was hosted in my office building. You know I don’t see too black women in our business and then I could look her straight in the eye because we are both ‘so tall’ in stature” she said with a laugh.

LaSalle broke out laughing too. He had mentioned to McGee that he was surprised that they had found another munchkin for the Department remembering his former very petite partner.

The evening went well. Sonja was happy to be back in the company of people that she knew. They all ended up going down the street to a bar that Ellie was familiar with. While Sonja enjoyed being with her former work mates, she got tired of the men in the bar hitting her. Finally, she walked up to LaSalle and said “look, just go with me. I’ll explain later.” At that she wrapped both of her arms around his neck and asked him if anyone could see them. 

“Well”, LaSalle responded somewhat surprised, “there are a few eyes looking this way.”

“Good, I was tired on those clowns hitting on me” she replied.

“I think you’re good now City Mouse but we could just hold this position for a while if you want to” he said with a chuckle.

“Very funny Country Mouse. Thanks for helping a girl out here. Hey why don’t we just go back to my place. Why pay for the high-priced drinks here when I have wine in the condo, and we can stop and get you a beer or two or some liquor if you want.”

“If it is okay with you, I would just as soon stop by my room and get out of this monkey suit. I have a couple of beers in the room that I can.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

In the end, LaSalle just grabbed a change of clothing and his ‘go bag” since they had taken a car service to the event that was several miles from Sonja’s. 

“Hey, the guest bathroom is right over there if you want to take a quick shower.”

“Are you implying that I smell” he asked jokingly?

“No funny man, I just wanted to make sure you felt confortable.”

LaSalle took a few moments to change his clothes and hang his suit on the hangers he had brought with him. He was impressed with the furnishings in the room and all the artwork. He returned to the living room and quietly called out her name. “Back here, Country Mouse.” He followed her voice and the music he could hear down another hallway. Now this was an impressive room. Percy had made the third bedroom into an office. He had no idea she had this many awards. 

“Where did these all come from Sonja” he asked? “You never said a word. Now I see why Pride took you on.” 

“Yeah sure. I am not sure why you did not trust his judgement on that one” she snarked.

Chris looked at her softly. He could not believe the flash of hurt in her face. She was remembering back to seeing a message that he had sent to King telling him that he didn’t think she was a good fit for the team several years before.

He walked over to her desk and took one of her hands and looked her straight in the eyes. “Look Sonja. I am going to apologize for this one last time. I was wrong about you in the end, but you must admit that it took a few months to get use to how you operate. You closed yourself off to us at first. If you had been the Sonja that I know today, there would not have been any questions. So, take that incident out of your mind and just forgive me and let it go.”

There was nothing more that Sonja could say. Of course Chris was right. She looked up at him and quietly said “okay”. She was not going to confront herself with this issue again right now. She had grown too fond of Christopher LaSalle to ever think he would do anything to hurt her on purpose. 

“Hey, you didn’t happen to bring some sweats with you, did you?” 

“Yes”.

“Why don’t you just stay here tonight, and you can drink that beer you brought and not worry about driving back to the hotel. Then we can sleep in and go down to the precinct down the street and work out in the morning.”

They laughed and talked until 2 in the morning. The more they drank, the closer he moved toward her. She suddenly realized that he had draped his arm around her. She felt comfortable leaning on to him and suddenly work up with a start.

“Chris. We fell asleep. We better get up and go to bed or we will both have crooked necks in the morning.”

LaSalle was not sure if had ever remembered Sonja’s body being so rock hard. While she had knee length pants on, her sparse top left nothing to imagine. The attendant at the gym was use to working with her and spotted her when she went to lift. Chris always knew she was strong, but she had increased her prowess to a level where she was able to almost lift half her weight doubled. 

It was a great work out and LaSalle was more than ready to eat when he came out the shower. They had stopped to get him some bacon to go with the waffles that Sonja whipped up. After rinsing off the dishes, they head off toward Howard University. Sonja had tickets to a matinee performance by a saxophone player named Ray Blue who lived in New York City. She said she tried to get to the campus at least once a week and this was a treat for her to hear some good jazz at a low cost. After the concert he learned that she had ulterior motive for this outing. She was still working on building her cover as a singer and was always open to new songs and perhaps some fine tuning for her band.

Sonja finessed her way backstage telling him that she had been in Iowa where he went to college. LaSalle just watched her work. He had never seen a person other than Elvis that was able to put out a line of shit like this.

“So, have you really been there Sonja he asked her in the car. In Iowa? 

“Yes. They have challenges with flesh peddling there. But I have no idea where the hell Oskaloosa is. I had just looked up on his website and got some basic information. I cannot even spell it.” He just grinned as she drove down the street.

While he was tired, he was not ready to leave her yet. She had grown on him and in some way odd way, she could find that spot in his heart that only his mother and Savannah could touch. He couldn’t decide when or where it happened but it wasn’t until after she left New Orleans that he was able to admit to himself that he not only cared for her but most likely had errored in not letting her know it.

They went back to condo to store their weapons. She thought she had better check her messages before they left again so he walked back into the front room and sat down for a few moments. “LaSalle are you still with me?”

“Yes Sonja”, he replied softly, “I’m still here. I was just thinking.”

“A penny for your thoughts Country Mouse.”

“I am not sure how you will take this. So, I will just blurt it out. After you left New Orleans, I realized that I might have been mistaken not allowing myself to care for you. I mean care for you as a woman.”

Sonja was silent and while her face showed surprise, in her heart this was only confirmation to her. She knew that she had fallen for him early in their partnership. He seemed to pick at her, but she had made it hard for him and he had to chip away little by little. Then came Melody and Tucker, then came the hug and its aftermath. Then came her being in jail and her trying to express herself when he shut her down.

“I still remember that last night at the bar. While the rest of the team was saddened that you were leaving, they were happy for your new adventure. I pretended to be happy, Sonja. Remember what I said that afternoon in the squadroom? Well, I have wondered over and over again at ‘what might have been’. I would go out with other women and they were not you. Quirky, funny, smart, beautiful, kind, caring and bad ass.”

“There were many days after King was shot that I knew that I needed you there to help us get through that horror. Tammy got kidnapped and I was at a loss what to say. Cade went far off the rails. Then when he disappeared, I almost lost my mind. Then Sonja, I did. While I laid in that hospital bed for all those weeks, I knew that you would have been able to help me focus and not be such a loose cannon during the investigation. I would have never gotten shot that day if you had been with me. I should have never trusted that girl.”

“For a long time, I was upset that you did not come to see me. Last week I remembered a day that I was in one of my therapy sessions and I went off on Tammy. It was only then that I realized why you had not come to see me in person. Not knowing that back then stopped me from asking you to come.”

“I would have come Chris if I had known you wanted me there. I worried about you for months. I kept hoping that you would call or send word asking me to come.”

He walked over to her big chair and took her hand to help her out of it. “Look Sonja. I have cared for you too long. I am so glad to have you back in my life. I should have realized a long time ago that I loved you. I should have tried to reach out to you and make sure that you knew that as well.”

He leaned in hesitantly to kiss her not know how she would react. Slowly her arms found their way up toward his neck. After a few minutes he took her hand and led her to the sofa where he sat down and pulled her into his lap. They laughed and talked for a long time but after her third yawn he figured it was time for him to find his way back to the hotel.

“So, did you make plans for us tomorrow too City Mouse” he asked? 

“There is always something to do in D.C. Chris. Did you have something that you wanted to do?” 

“Well, not really but why don’t we sleep on it and I will come back about 11:00 tomorrow.”

They ended up making a day of it Sunday after deciding to go to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. This was not a joyous outing but a necessary one for the both of them. They walked hand in hand as Sonja wiped the tears from her eyes with her free hand. She would never know that Christopher wanted to cry to but ‘manned up’. She questioned him once they were in the car on how he maintained such a stoic face. When she saw that he could not find an answer, she changed the subject to what she had on her plate for the next day at the condo.

Chris called her about 4 Monday after when he finished up his second session with Jack Sloane. “I need a drink or two or three he told her.

“Why don’t I order in” Sonja suggested? How do you like your steak? You can stop and pick up the order on your way over? I will text you the address of the restaurant.”

LaSalle was pleasantly surprised when he got to the condo. He followed Sonja into the kitchen after passing by the beautiful table setting, she had created. He gave her a quick peck on the lips as he passed back by her after setting the food on the counter by the stove.

“So, are you ready to eat? No need to let the food get cold. Can I get you to drink the right wine to go with the steak tonight?”

He smiled as he said yes. The condo was filled with music. He was thrown by a couple of the singers. His face lit up when Bonnie Raitt came on. He wondered how she remember that she was one of his favorite singers.

He offered to help her with the dishes, but she said she would just rinse them off right now and wash them later.

They sat down on the sofa as she proceeded to tell him what she could about her schedule for Tuesday.

“So how did it go for you today?”

“Okay, I guess” he responded.

She looked at him with doubt in her face.

“It is hard Sonja. They always start at the most difficult place. Sloane has no idea how bad this pain is.”

“I think she must know that Chris” Sonja replies. “I cannot begin to know how it feels to have a loss like this on top of losing Savannah too.”

Chris did not know what happened but suddenly he was weeping again. Weeping so bad that it scared him. He could not do this with his mother. He had finally grasped it all when he was standing there with Miss Loretta and King in the morgue then wept in her arms too. This he would soon discover was his sanctuary. He could have found it with his mother, but he did not want to weigh her down with his grief on top of hers. But here with Percy he did not have to be strong or guarded. She encouraged him to lay his head in her lap as he talked through his history with his brother. He had no idea that he had fallen asleep until he heard water running. He sat up and soon Sonja appeared in a business suit with her hair pinned up like she wore it on their last assignment together at NCIS.

“Good morning Country Mouse. I am glad you slept in a little. You said that you did not have to be at HQ until 1000 so you should have plenty of time to get back to your hotel and out to Quantico.”

LaSalle was glad that Sonja suggested that he get a hotel close to the train line so he would not have to drive in the horrid D.C. traffic. They had decided that he would stay at the hotel Tuesday and Wednesday nights and bring his gear back into the city with him on Thursday and stay in her guest bedroom until he flew out on Sunday. In the end, everything worked for them both. She knew she had to fly out on Tuesday for a new mission but had no idea when she would return.

They spent Saturday and Sunday visiting many of the tourist spots that Percy had yet to discover. She found the Korean War Memorial most haunting. She did not know a lot about that conflict even though family members on both sides of her blood line had served there.

Sonja was surprised at how he hung on to her when they arrived at the airport Sunday night. He had told her more than once that he wished that she were coming back to Nola with him. He assured her that Tammy would be thrilled to see her for a weekend. She swore him to secrecy that she would be gone for at least three weeks. “You cannot tell anyone Christopher”.


	3. Weeping Can Last For More Than One Night

Despite not being in the field, LaSalle’s in box was stuffed when he returned to his desk. “You guys couldn’t have done some of this” he griped as he started in?

He had finally got through his e-mails then got up to go get a cup of coffee. He heard his e-mail ding halfway to the kitchen.

Oh no, he thought when he saw the sender when he returned to his desk. Jack Sloane. What could she possibly want now? She had scheduled a secure conference call with him and King at 1100 their time. 

“Well, I think you would rather hear this from me than from Director Vance. We are going to leave you with desk duty for another thirty days. I am going have you continue to see the Doctor at Stennis and then have you return out here to D.C. before I release you to full duty in the field.”

To say that LaSalle was disappointed would be an understatement. He was already tired of the shit details. The Fleet was in and there was more action in that time period than in the preceding thirty days. 

“I need some personal time King. I am going home if you can spare me.” 

“Sure Chris. Take all the time you need. Just let me know if you think next Monday is too soon to return.” 

Chris enjoyed the time with his family. He took his nephews hunting and stocked his mother’s freezer with pheasants, rabbits and deer stakes. It was good to be around some of the community members that he knew as a child. He did, however, mange to duck Rachel Modine until his last day there. His sister didn’t like her and allowed him to hide his truck in their outbuilding while he took a dirt bike back to their mother’s house.

LaSalle did not come in until about 1030 hours that Monday morning. He barely said hello to New York when he looked over to see a desk squeezed in between his and Tammy’s.

“Excuse me? I’m Chris LaSalle”. 

“Yeah, you are the guy that got shot, right?” He continues as Chris nods his head. 

“It’s good to see you on your feet. I am Quentin Carter. I have been reassigned here to replace Agent Sonja Percy.”

“Really” Chris asked him? “I thought that Sebastian filled that slot”? 

“Well, I don’t know the details. I just know I got reassignment orders and a phone call from the movers. And here I am.”

Chris followed Tammy to the kitchen. He knew she was seething. He let her spout off and then tapped her shoulder and told her to hang in there!

LaSalle welcomed the company of the ‘new guy’ with grace. He must have been the only one of the team who was okay with the seemingly dumped agent. He was out of the office ten hours a week anyway with his continued sessions and he was heading back to D. C. in a week. He had just verified his travel itinerary when his phone dinged. It was Sonja. 

“Hey you! I just wanted to catch up with you really quick and make sure you are doing okay.”

“I am fine City Mouse. In fact, I am coming back out your way Sunday night.” 

“Hey that should work out fine. I can sleep a couple of days and try to get back on a schedule. Too bad you cannot get out Friday night, but I guess I can wait.”

After a few more minutes and several yawns, Chris told Sonja to go hit the sack. He went back to his desk to make a few calls. He had learned growing up in a southern home that it was always fruitful to be nice when dealing with people. A year before he got shot, LaSalle had befriended a pilot who got stranded in the Quarter and was trying to get to Stennis in time for a flight. Chris gave him a lift right to hanger. The Major had quickly jotted down his landline number at the unit. Chris had stuck the card in his index file and had never given it a thought until then. He called the guy who phoned him back at home later that evening.

“Let me check the schedule in the morning and call you back tomorrow”. True to his word, he called Chris about 1100 Thursday morning and told him that they had a medical flight scheduled for 1400 Friday taking a patient to Bethesda. Chris could not quit smiling as he both e-mailed and texted Percy of his luck at finding a flight. He was surprised to see her standing in the terminal as he walked into building.

“Hey City Mouse” he said to Sonja with a smile in his voice. 

“Hey yourself. I wondered how you were going to get your rental”. 

“Well I thought that I would catch a taxi.”

“So, when do you have to report?”

“1000 Monday morning.”

“So, what do you need to do right now?”

“Well, I had already made hotel reservations on my government card for Sunday night so I need to change that. I need to pick up the rental, but sometimes they will let you do it at another location.”

“So, why don’t you just stay tonight and Saturday night at my place. There is a car rental place right there as you go by the bank in the shopping mall”.

“Great idea Percy. Let’s go.”

“Percy”? He asked as he realized that she had not moved one step.

“No hug” she asked with a fake frown?

“Oh, you. Come here” he said as pulled her into his arms. “Hello City Mouse. It is good to see you again!”

As luck would have it, the rental place had one car left in his price range. LaSalle looked up as Sonja waived and drove off. He quickly followed and could see her taillights as she pulled into the parking structure. He maneuvered his rental into a metered spot in front of the building.

Chris could smell the food as he walked into the unit. “Well that smells great City Mouse.” 

“I stuck something into the crock pot earlier. I will put the bread into the oven and as soon I get it warmed up and we can eat.”

Percy was still tired but elated to have Chris back within her sights. He would never know how much that she had worried about him once she found out that he was hurt. She would have called him every day if he would have accepted it but after the explosive interaction with Tammy, it was suggested that all of them just give him a wide berth.

She was touched that he remembered her favorite flower as she looked at the yellow roses on the table. They were waiting for her when she got to home earlier. They are a before ‘thank you’ ” he said he wrote on the card that accompanied them.

“I missed you Sonja” LaSalle started out with somber face. “It has been difficult just sitting and it gave me more time to focus on your being so far away.” 

“I have missed all of you since I left Chris. I am so thankful that the team did not allow me to remain in my ‘own little world’ when I started at NCIS.”

Chris heard the music switch as they finished up their dinner. Faith Hill. Another one of his favored singers. He marveled every time he witnesses one these seemingly small tokens of Sonja’s kindness. How does she remember all these things he thought? He had all of Faith Hill’s and Tim Mc Graw’s CDs. He would play them in his own truck as they sat on stakeouts or drove to different locations. She had told him one day that she had come across this video that the husband and wife recorded entitled “Like We Never Loved at All”. 

She brings it up again as they sit. “To be honest, I know how she must have felt in that video. I felt somewhat similar when you told me ‘no’. It confused me because I did not think that I was wrong in thinking that you would have wanted to pursue something then too.”

Chris starts talking as he rises from the chair. “It’s hard to say that I was wrong Sonja. I will just say that I should have at least considered it. I look back now and realize that I really did care for you. I told you why we could not explore something, but Sonja, that was then, and this is now” he says as he extends his hand to her. “How about we build on our concern for each other and see what might develop.”

They spent Saturday at Arlington. It ended up being an emotional day for several reasons. They had each found the grave of a classmate and then there was just the profound sadness of being on the hollowed ground.

They ate dinner in almost total silence. Sonja had found a light jazz station that played in the background.

“So, what did you learn today Country Mouse” she asked him softly?

“So much that I do not think I could express it right now” he replied.

Sonja had closed her eyes for a few moments only to realize that Chris had stopped talking. She looked over at him to see that a couple of tears had leaked out of eyes and were sliding down his cheeks. She reached over and took his hand. “What are you thinking Country Mouse”? There was no response.

He squeezed her hand so tight that it started to hurt. “Chris what? What is wrong?”

“I should have been there Sonja. How could I have not checked up on him more often? I just accepted the fact in his e-mails that he was doing okay. Why didn’t he come to me before going out there on his own?”

The tears soon evolved into outright sobs. Sonja was at a loss but realized that he needed to do this. She could never image the pain in his heart. She finally stood up and sat down in his lap. It was dark before she felt it was right to move herself.

“Did I tell you that every time Cade called me, he asked about you? He told me once that I was lucky to have a friend like you. I had looked at him like he was nuts when he continued by saying that you treated me like a brother and lover at the same time. I was shocked.” 

“Chris she is so kind to you. She argues with you like you do with sis but when I look at how she watches you sometimes it’s like she is this protective mother lion who won’t allow anyone to hurt her cub. You soften up around her like you did with Savannah.” Chris stopped the quotation before he revealed that Cade thought he should consider at least dating her for a while. “You are two peas in a pod Chris. You both love that job and you both need someone to love.”

“Look Sonja. I think I have about had it for today I am going to head for bed. Thank you for being so kind to me and listening.”

Sonja had to stand there for a minute after he closed the door. Why does he do this she pondered. She knew good and well that he needed her, but he was the one that had to say it. He left her wondering. Finally, she came to her own conclusion that he was blinded by his hurt. Several months before he just let her walk out his life without telling her how he felt. Now it appeared that he could not get beyond this hurt either.

Sunday flew by. Sonja was buried in a report. Chris went downstairs to watch a ball game on the big screen then return to eat dinner with her before he left for his motel.

Chris arrived on location Monday just as the NCIS staff got out of their weekly update. Agent Sloane asked a lot of intrusive questions then left him to finish some psychological test.

Tuesday’s counseling session was much more challenging for both of them. Agent Sloane was beginning to get concerned and went upstairs to talk with Director Vance after letting LaSalle leave earlier than she had intended.

Wednesday Agent Sloane asked him how he thought he was doing.

“Hey, what about that FBI agent friend of yours? Have you seen her since you have been here this time?”

Chris thought that was an odd question, but he answered it anyway. “Well, yeah, I have talked to her a few times since I have been here.”

“So, are you as closed mouth with her as you seem to be with me” Sloane asked?

Chris thought about how to respond. His relationship with Percy was really none of her business. “We have known each other for almost five years. We have a lot to talk about.”

“So, do you talk with her about your brother’s death or about your getting shot?”

Chris closed his eyes. He was about to lose it.

“Be honest Agent LaSalle. You must be honest with me or I will never be able to okay your return to full regular duty.”

That was it. He could take it anymore. Actually, he realized that he did not want to pretend any more. It poured out. When he caught himself, he realized he had a handful of used tissues. He did not remember hearing Agent Sloane’s voice in a while. He looked away from her not wanting to see her eyes and noticed the clock on the wall said 3 p.m. Four hours had passed by. 

“I know this must have been difficult Agent LaSalle. I met with the Director this morning at 9 a.m. He wanted a plan B.”

“You must already realize that you are not ready to return to the field with the stringent requirements that your current assignment requires. I have already scheduled you in to see Director Vance in the morning at 11:00. I have given him some options and he will discuss them with you.”

“He will also have my notes and my suggested modified treatment plan for you. Do you still have my card?” He nods. “Feel free to call me at any time, day or night. The answering service will have further directions incase I am not available.”

“Look Agent LaSalle, many people make changes in their life. I will tell you this in confidence. I am leaving NCIS. I had a challenging experience like you. Gibbs and Director Vance helped me sort it out and now I am ready to move on. I enjoyed my time here but I cannot wait for my new adventure. Just realize that change does not always have to be bad.”

Chris was exhausted. He stopped to get something light to eat in his room. It was there that he realized that he had not checked his messages. He had left his phone in the car so it would not distract him in his session with Jack.

“Hey Percy”.

“Hey Country Mouse. I just walked in the door. It was a long day. I stayed to get some overseas calls in. Looks like I can take Friday off if I stay a little late on Thursday. I will leave your name at the concierge desk and they will give you a key if I am not there. Also, another guest parking pass.”

La Salle was up early and decided to go for a run before he checked out. One thing for sure, he would not miss the horrible D. C. traffic.

The Director was standing on the balcony when he entered the bullpen area. He waived him up as Chris greeted Bishop and Mc Gee. He had no idea where the pain in the butt Torres was and really did not care.

“So, Agent LaSalle, I just finished reading Agent Sloane’s report. I will be honest. I was not sure that you were ready to return to full field duty even before Sloane started hedging her responses to me two months ago. Here is a list of positions within the organization that are currently vacant that do not require you to be in a field office or on the streets. I highlighted the opening at FLECT at Cheltenham. I think with all the things that we do, that working in active shooter threats and basic incident response would be in your area of expertise. Agent Pride told me you are extremely proficient with most of the weapons we use. I had already read one of your team’s mission reports where you stopped a flesh peddling ring. Chris get a funny look on his face when the Director smoothers a chuckle.

“What” he asks?

“I was just thinking as I thought back on reading the after-action report how that one Marine kicked all of your behinds in that pawn shop.” 

Chris had to laugh too. “We were just lucky he was actually one of the good guys because he could have killed all of us.”

“So, why don’t you think it over and see if one of these positions jumps out at you?”

“I do not need to think Director. It appears the decision is not if, but where and when I will be reassigned. I would like to go to FLECT and stay in the capitol city.”

“All right then. I will contact Agent Pride this afternoon and let him know my decision. Why don’t you stop by admin today and start the paperwork for the movement of your household goods? I will not even begin to explain what they do, but I understand that they are very good at their mission. Good luck now. I am sure I will see you time to time out there.”

Chris stopped by to see if the crew downstairs had time for lunch.

“Lunch” Ellie laughed. “What’s that? You are in luck. We were just about to order in. Your order would put us over the free delivery charge. The menu is over there on the other side of the printer.”

Chris was happy to be around McGee again. He was surprised but he thought it must because he still had some of the mannerism of Gregorio and the other sailors that he served with in the past. Regardless of what anyone said, he could tell what branch a co-worker served in pretty much by their actions/reactions. Sloane threw him however but he thought it was because he was aware that she had been a POW and he also remembered from the two that he knew personally and his experience with Pride and Isler what trauma that it could cause.

He saw that he had plenty of time when he finished his paperwork so he decided that he would cook dinner. He had seen a grocery store once while taking Sonja home and stopped there for groceries while finding his favorite beer as well.

It took him a while to find everything, but he was able get the table sat. He called his mother to make sure everything looked okay. “There are no napkins son” she pointed out. How could he have missed that he wondered. He went back to the drawers and not only found the napkins but also found candles. Perfect he thought.

He texted Sonja and told her that he had a surprise for her. She offered to pick up dinner, but he declined telling her maybe they could just walk across the street. “Just call me when you leave your desk to come home” he told her.

Sonja was surprised when she walked in and smelled the wonderful food. “I finished my project and have tomorrow and Monday off. Do I have time to catch a quick shower and get out of these clothes?” 

“Yes. Take your time it will be about 20 more minutes” he responded with a smile.

LaSalle had asked concierge desk to call him when Sonja got there. The guy detained her telling her he thought he had seen a package for her. After looking for a while, he told her that he would bring it up when he found where the day person had sat it. That diversion gave LaSalle the opportunity fills the tub for her and light the tea candles that she had in the bathroom. Sonja was both surprised and touched.

Sonja brushed out her hair and put on a thawb that she had picked up in the Middle East. Sonja was completely surprised to find another vase of roses this time accompanied by beautiful candles burning on the table.

Dinner was wonderful although Sonja wondered just how LaSalle knew how to prepare those veggies that she loved. He suggested that she check her e-mails while he stuck the dishes into the dishwasher and started it.

“Well, I have some news” he said as she came back into the room.

Sonja waited with bated breath.

“I am being reassigned” he started out.

“Oh, Country Mouse I am so sorry” she meted out. 

“Well, I am not. My new duty station will be at Cheltenham about 15 minutes from here.”

“You’re kidding” she exclaimed?

“No City Mouse. Looks like you are going to have to put up with me again for a while. 

“So, it looks like we’re going to have to go apartment hunting.”

“Well I have no idea where to start, but I thought I would find an agent online and see what I could find out there.”


	4. The Unsolicited Advice

There were two people who had concluded that “The Mouse Twins” as Merry Brody dubbed them, belonged together. Tammy knew love when she saw it and figured out that they were an item the first week she knew them. While she was wrong, she wasn’t really wrong about the two of them. Brody interacted with them enough to realize that was a real connection between them even if they pooh-poohed her. 

The two of them quickly moved back into the rhythm that they had shared when partnered in New Orleans. It still took them longer than it should have to make the relationship permanent. Oddly enough, he officially asked her to marry him the same day he learned that Kelly Clarkson was getting a divorce.

Chris had suggested that they go ring shopping. “For you maybe, but I already know what I want” Percy quipped. Chris wasn’t so sure until he had a conversation with Mc Gee who assured him it was a good investment as long as they stayed married for ten years. Chris wasn’t sure at first if he was serious or not.

Sonja knew her condo would sell the next day once it went on the market. She had bought one of the first five sold and then six months later American Airlines decided to build a new ticket processing center two miles from her building. She made a 25% profit in a year. She had saved all of her perdeim from her overseas missions. A banker friend suggested she let it sit there for two years and then see how the market finally balanced out.

Six weeks before his marriage ceremony Chris LaSalle ran into Leroy Gibbs at Cheltenham. “Hello Agent LaSalle” Gibbs said as he extended his hand. “It has been a while since I have seen you around the bullpen. I hear you are getting married soon”.

“Yes, I am” LaSalle responded.

“Well, I have been there a couple of times so let me offer you some advice. If you do not have one yet, find yourself a male friend who is a combat Veteran. I see that look on your face” he continued. “You are going to need him at least once in your marriage. Your fiancée is in a ‘secret secret’ business. She is not going to be able to tell you anything about her job or her missions before or after. Pride and Isler are too familiar to you. You need someone your own age who is in this shit currently.”

Chris was able to muster the required thank you. It would not be until nine years later that LaSalle had to go that ‘well’. Sonja’s whole team went off the grid for six days. He had read about a coup in a central African country but just filed the information away in his brain. Four days later Sonja’s boss and Director Vance appeared at his office door. They only provided him with peripheral information. They said that were telling him this this soon because the Russians were somehow involved and they were sure that they would leak information and use it to manipulate the circumstances somehow.

Of course, they were correct. The Russians, however, were unaware that a group of MI6 agents had stumbled across Sonja’s team via one of their informants and rescued them all. The Brits got the Americans to safety then resumed their own mission which involved tracking down the insurgents who had cornered the Americans.

Sonja returned home and said nothing. A week later she still had not broken protocol. LaSalle could not take it any longer. “I know” he said as he held her tightly in his arms in their bed. He felt her total relax. 

“How” she asked him. He told her about the visit from her boss and Director Vance.

“I hate this Chris. I hate that I must keep secrets from you like this”.

A year later, LaSalle learned that Gibbs had lost his own wife and daughter and later a girlfriend to terrorist who were after him. Ellie would tell him how difficult it was for Gibbs. She herself had uncovered additional information from Senior Agent Duane Pride while on a mission in New Orleans. She told Chris that “it is never out of his mind and often has influenced how he treats both his team members and alleged criminal subjects”.

Chris looked at her curiously as a slight smile came to her face in the discussion. She saw the quizzical look and responded to his unasked question. “Look Lasalle, it warms my heart to know that he cared that much about you to make sure that you had a similar support system that he did. Fornell, Pride, McLane, Franks, Betts, and later Director Vance and Mc Gee were there for Gibbs when he needed them during his times of great sorrow. You will build yourself a support network too, but I am sad to say he was right that you need someone who has seen death to be there by your side. She will undoubtable lose teammates and you will need to know how to support her”.


	5. Home Sweet Home

LaSalle had already made the decision that he would be staying wherever his City Mouse was. Sloane was right about a lot of things. This turmoil in his life had offered him a new opportunity to make his dream of life with an amazingly kind woman and family to come true.

Buying a house and planning the wedding was the focus of their lives for the next six months. Sonja had picked out a gown years before in her dreams. She always knew that she wanted to be a ‘movie star’ bride. 

A most shocking event had occurred on her second assignment. That team went looking for an oil magnet’s son. They retrieved him and literally ran out of the country with bad guys on their behinds with guns blazing.

It would be a few months before Sonja actually found out who the boy was. His father owned a fortune 100 company. His mother had been a top European model and eventually bought a major design house that had made her even more famous and very rich. The team finally met them at a State Department event. The father had insisted that the members of the team be invited to the government function. Sonja and a teammate had made their way to the powder room and saw the young boy on their way back to their table. “Sonja look. Don’t we know him?” The child spotted Sonja at the same time. He ran over and hugged Karin. She was the one who hung on to him when they were weaving all over the road trying to get the border several months before.

He would not let go of her hand as he pulled her across the floor. “Papa, Papa. Look who I found. This is her Papa!” The man explained that he was Josef’s father. He thanked Karin profusely for rescuing his son. “And what about the others” he asks. 

“Well Sonja was part of the rescue party and the others are at their tables way over there.”

The father walked with them and greeted the remainder of the team. He barely held his composure. He explained that no one would tell them who had brought their son out, so he devised this night to learn who they were. He gave each of them a business card and asked for them to e-mail his executive assistant on Monday. 

Christmas soon came and Sonja was surprised to receive a holiday card from the family with their photo. Also, inside was a personal note from the boy’s mother with her business card.

Sonja thought, what the heck. Let me go look at her dresses before I go back to the other shop. She made a reservation and took Karin with her. They were ushered into a private sitting room where the sales assistant gave her a book of gowns and suggested that they look through them. She said “we will bring them in on a rack, but you are welcome to go out into the storage room as well as look through the gowns.” 

While the gowns were beautiful, Sonja did not see ‘the one’ so she asked if she could go into the storage area. As they were walking back to the storeroom, Sonja and Karin heard a woman scream. “Ow, ow Constance that hurt.” They looked in the room they were about to pass and concluded that the fit model had gotten stuck. “I am so sorry Olga.”

“Oh, my” Sonja exclaimed. “That is it. That’s my dress!” The cream-colored princess gown could have been worn by Cinderella herself. “I want that one” she told her escort.

“Olga, why do not you switch places with Miss Percy while Constance is here.” It was perfect as far as Percy could determine. Constance took her measurements after Sonja slipped out of the gown.

“What do you think Constance, how soon can we have the dress?”

“How about two weeks Tiffany” she replied. 

“So, Miss Percy what color would you like?

“I love this one just as it is.”

“Fine. We will give you a call in about two weeks to set up your first fitting.”

“That is great. What you want for the deposit today” she asked?

“How about $500. I can take care of it as I walk back to the front of the shop”.

Sonja was beyond happy. She returned two weeks later for the first fitting and then a month after that for the final fitting. 

“Look Miss Percy, if you can come back in an hour, we will have those two tucks in, and the gown pressed. Or we can deliver it.”

“I have a little car today. Why don’t you just bring it to the house. I will take the veil and shoes today. So, here is my card for the final bill.”

“That is not necessary. We will use the information that we have on hand if that is okay after we let you know the final cost.”

Six months after the wedding, Sonja still had not received a bill or statement. She did receive a wedding gift from the shop owner one day one. It was a small, crystal bell. Sonja thought it was odd when she knew these were multi-millionaires. “We trust that you will the bell of the ball!” Suddenly she realized that the gown was her wedding present. A few weeks later she was flying through Madrid and picked up a wedding magazine in the airport shop. There on the front cover was her wedding dress in white. She almost dropped the publication when she saw the $15,000 price tag of the dress on the article inside.

The actual wedding was another enjoyable experience. LaSalle had a ‘command appearance’ for a luncheon for the Secretary of the Navy in the City. He hated the D.C. traffic and was able to catch a ride with Kasie and Mc Gee to the facility. He had never been in the Army and Navy Club. He realized that it was as elegant as anything he had seen in the South. He had told Kasie at the reception on the last day that he intended to pop the question to Sonja on her birthday. He was still admiring the building as they departed the location. 

A week later he received an inter-agency envelope with a note and brochure from Kasie. Here is my wedding present to you and Sonja. Kasie had managed to snare him the rental space for Memorial Day weekend. His co-workers at NCIS headquarters, New Orleans and Cheltenham had passed the hat and collected enough money to pay for the venue.

The wedding was as beautiful as any Broadway production. The Saturday, 6 p.m. time frame allowed a dual conclusion. All the out of town guest could travel on Saturday morning and be present and LaSalle could wear the tails that would be correct to complement Sonja’s designer gown. 

Sonja entered the room with Cannon in D playing. Her two sisters had preceded her down the walkway. She could look down the isle and see her groom standing there with his surrogate father Dwayne Pride. Brody would later quip to them that they could model for a cake topper. 

Laurel Pride would remain at the piano to play through the reception. Everyone was delighted to see her again and Sonja was grateful that she had taken care of all the musical requirements including booking the strings for the celebration. It was ‘just her’ job she reminded the young musician as they recalled the day that Sonja saved Pride and Laurel from being shot in his bar. “Never mind that Agent Percy, I can never repay you for saving my life that day”.

Sonja had flown to meet Laurel to record a special gift for her soon to be husband. King had several handkerchiefs in his pocket knowing that Christopher would be stunned with Sonja’s presentation of ‘Our Love’. Laurel knew an associate with a recording studio. They were able to interweave the song with scenes from Chris and Sonja’s childhood, their family, and photos from their years together in New Orleans.

Most of the guest would not have understood the recessional. Chris and Sonja had both decided without hesitation to have the ensemble play a musical version of Faith Hill and Tim Mc Graw’s “Like We Never Loved at All”. They wanted it in the wedding video so that they would not forget the journey that had brought them to this day in their lives. Unlike the lovers in the video, they had been able to reconcile and profess their love for each other. They looked at the video every year on their anniversary thankful for another year of wedded bliss.


	6. The Little Ones

The La Salles had quickly moved into a routine. Sonja would be home for several weeks and then would put on another Tim and Faith song. He knew she would be leaving shortly and automatically ask “the big one or the little one” as he headed toward the closet to retrieve her travel bag.

They always made sure to go out together the first week that she was back in country. She did not always know when she would be pulled in unexpectedly for a mission. Five years into their marriage, Sonja asked Chris if he could go with her to the doctor. Chris looked at her with a questioning look on his face. “I just thought we both should be there to talk about having a baby”.

Chris’ eyes got big. Then the tears started to flow.

“Are you okay” she asked a little surprised at his reaction?

“Yes. I have wanted to be a daddy since I met Tucker. Now to have a child with the love of my life is another milestone that I have looked forward to”.

Sonja knew that there would be additional guidelines because she ate a Vegan diet. She did not know that there was also concerns about African American women carrying their children to full term and being able to survive the birth process without complications. The doctor also suggested that Christopher enhance his diet as well. “I will call your prescriptions in now. Here are some publications that you will want to read through to augment your diet, so your body is ready to carry the fetus. We will take the device out of your arm next month”.

“The two of you will want to decide what type of birth you want to have. I have listed those centers that I work with and the name of two doulas. I don’t know exactly what kind of work you do, but if you are in a high stress job, I would certainly recommend using a doula if you can afford it. She will work closely with me and will be present for your appointments here in the office as the pregnancy proceeds”.

Sonja was overwhelmed with the amount of information that they were provided. She was the first one in bed that night and tried to pretend that she was already asleep when Chris came into the bedroom after taking a call from his mother.

“Sonja, I know you’re not asleep. I thought we could practice baby making and be ready for when the time comes for the real thing”. Percy could not help but breakout laughing! “You are too much LaSalle” and turned to see that mischievous look on her husband’s face!

It seemed reasonable to get the device removed a few days before she left on a mission. She knew she would be back before she had her next period. Three months later LaSalle decided to cook one of the frozen squirrels that he had in the freezer. Sonja came in the door and within two minutes was gagging at the smell and ran for the toilet room. They happened to have some Sprite and Sonja downed it as Chris washed the pan he used to cook in and took his dinner out on the deck and ate it.

The next morning Sonja still looked a little green under the gills her husband told her “why don’t you just stay home”?

“No, I can’t do that. We have a mission report to finish. The Brits are coming next week and we have to be ready for them.” Sonja spent more time in the restroom than in the briefings and ended up calling the doctor for an early appointment the next day.

“Well, Sonja, I am not sure if you want to hear this, but your pregnancy test came back positive.” Percy was overjoyed. She texted her husband as soon as she got in the car. “Hey dad. Do you want a boy or a girl?”

Three months in, Sonja was glad that the morning sickness had finally ended. Now benched for the duration of her pregnancy, she was able to settle into nesting with her husband. Chris’ buddies came over and helped him put the baby bed together. Mary Brody drove down for a weekend and they washed some of the baby clothes and did an inventory of everything else. Mary’s mother had suggested that they buy a bag of every type of diaper to see which one worked best for the baby and for the mother. To be honest, Mary was surprised at the amount of wisdom that she had with the whole episode. Sonja looked at Mary with surprise – “Mary she had two babies at one time to care for!”

Sonja’s own mother came up the last week of the pregnancy and stayed a month. To be honest, Percy was glad to see her go. She tried to overrule Chris on everything. She was not understanding that he had been a bachelor for 30 years and could do just fine running the household on his own.

Both Sonja and Chris took maternity/paternity leave. Chris took eight weeks and Sonja six months. Even then she was hesitant about returning to work. Christopher John was a good baby. She tried not to spoil him, but it was hard. Mary’s mom had forewarned her though that she needed to prepare him for her not being there.

The nanny moved in two weeks before Sonja returned to work. CJ took it in stride but was clear about his preference. She said he would whimper just before his nap time when he missed his mother the most. Her first deployment did not go well for mother or child. Chris held his wife and son the first night she was back and finally had to force Sonja to let him return the baby to his own bed. “No, I can do it” she remarked.

Fifteen minutes later, she still had not returned. Chris walked down the hall to the nursery to find Sonja and the baby asleep in the rocking chair. “Here Sonja, give him to me” he said as he took him out of her arms. CJ cried a little but settled down when he put the pacifier in his mouth. He gently woke Sonja and helped her walk down to their bedroom. He laughed to himself and wondered what had happened to the ‘snap to’ Percy that could hear a mouse on the other side of the house when in her super-agent mode. That Sonja had disappeared and left momma LaSalle in her place.

CJ was 18 months old when Sonja proposed having another child. Let’s do this now and they will have each other. The second pregnancy went a lot smoother than the first. She was able to continue running through her sixth month. The baby came out just as easy and was home in two days. CJ was thrilled to have a baby sister. Almost two and a half, he was able to understand that she was another little person, but he was not always sure that he liked her in their mother’s lap all the time.

Sonja gave the childcare provider more time with the new baby since CJ seemed a little put out at having to share his mother. She was glad that Chris had a regular 8 to 5 job and was around to help with the childcare duties and to bond even closer with their son.

Christopher had also named their daughter. He was a big consumer of Greek history. He had been torn to name his son after him or after Alexander the Great, the King of Macedonia and Persia. Sonja had been taught that names were anointings. She suggested they give their daughter the feminine version of the name – Alexis. The meaning of her name meant “to defend, help”. Her name and later her profession as an investigator for a law firm that focused on defending low income or marginalized men and women, fit her perfectly.

The years passed by quickly although the children were not always accepting of their mother’s frequent disappearances. It was time for CJ to enroll full time in school. Sonja poured over his drawings and other school related materials each time she returned home. It came to her after watching a recording of the holiday concert at his school that missing them was painful.

She had to be honest with herself that she still found the missions exhilarating but she also remembered the night that her husband told her that he knew of the mission where they were almost captured. She never realized how happy that Christopher LaSalle could make her. She ached when she was away from him. She had told him things that even her mother did not know about her.

She appreciated how he had taken her into his heart and how he shared his accomplishments and his sorrows with her. They had learned in their pre-marital counseling how important it was to get the secrets out in the open. In two of the session the counselor had encouraged the two of them to write down questions that they would have like answers to from the other. She gave them choice of revealing the list with her or one on one. While she left the final decision to them, she expressed her experience with this exercise and the emotions that often came along with the reveals. She thought they might appreciate her perspective and mediation if needed.

Both were surprised at two or three items on the other’s list. LaSalle seemed to be concerned that some man other than Ramone had hurt her and of course he was correct. She had been beaten by a high school acquaintance. It was the primary reason that she started lifting weights to strengthen her core. 

Then there was her old partner Jake Roman. That one was harder to explain but since he was bold enough to ask if she had slept with him she would answer it but knew there was more to it because it happened after Chris had rejected her and years after she and Jake were actually partners.

She wanted to know more about his relationship with Savannah and why he left her back in Alabama. Then she wanted to know the real reason why he did not tell her about Tucker and Melody. That was extremely difficult. “Because the day you asked me about how I felt about Melody and you asked me what I wanted, I couldn’t tell you that I wanted you and that possibility had ended with the revelation of Tucker. I was joyous to have this child, but my heart was wounded because I knew I would never have another chance to see what I could put together with you.”


	7. Sorrow's Visit

Things got really busy for Percy on the business side and in her home life. Alexis was doing well at getting potty trained and then Sonja went on an extended deployment. The nanny told her it took two days for the little girl to realize that her mommy was gone again and the whole bathroom experience went south.

Sonja returned home to a distressed father. Alexis didn’t even want to sit on the potty chair. Fortunately, her mother was able to get her back on track with reinforcement from Grandma LaSalle.

Somehow in all the goings on, Sonja missed a doctor’s appointment. It was hard to reschedule when she knew she had more back to back missions coming up. It was everything she could do after her return from mission number two to keep food down. She knew she should have known better to eat water washed greens from that African Country. She made LaSalle stop twice on the way back from the airport so she could throw up. Two days later she was still sick and knew she had better make her way to her doctor to ensure that she did not bring a parasite home with her.

“Well Mrs. LaSalle, you are pregnant. About two months along I would say.” Sonja couldn’t be depressed. She loved her husband and to be able to bring another child into their lives would be an added joy in their family’s life. Actually, Sonja was glad that it would be a spring baby. This meant she could have all the time she wanted at home during the Christmas season. 

She had snuck into her home office during nap time to wrap presents. Oh, shoot she thought. She didn’t have any bows left over from last year. She thought she would just run down to the store real quick.

Just as she was about to enter the store, she heard a woman hollering. Her little boy was right at Sonja’s feet heading out the door to the drive and she reached out to grab him as he went running by. Somehow Sonja lost her footing with her baby weighted body, fell and smashed into the concrete sidewalk. She knew she was in trouble as soon as she hit the ‘deck’.

The medical personnel were professional and attentive but there was nothing that could be done. Her own OB/GYN happened to be in the hospital delivering another baby. She hurried to Sonja’s room just as the x-ray was brought in. The doctor stepped out for a moment to speak with Christopher. They returned to Sonja’s side together. “I’m so sorry Sonja” she began. “We have two options. You can deliver your baby or we can go upstairs and remove him through surgery. They cried for two straight days at the loss of their second son. 

Baby Cade had the same broad forehead as his grandfather and uncle. He looked like a china doll in the coffin. He was perfect since he did not have to exit through the birth canal. They let him stay with Sonja and Chris as long as they wanted. He was buried in a little sleeper that Cade had bought for his first baby nephew’s christening a decade before.

Mother LaSalle came and stayed with them for a month while they were able to muster the strength to go on. Sonja had long learned to trust her mother in law. Like her own family members, there was something about southern women that was unique to them. Mrs. LaSalle would call and sometimes send snail mail letters of encouragement. She had some inane ability to know when Percy needed a boost of reassurance just at that particular moment. Chris and Sonja took a short little trip to the Poconos her last weekend in D. C.

Life went back to as close to normal as it could. Several new members were added to Sonja’s unit. The bad guys kept coming and the missions remained difficult and sometimes deadly.

Her babies weren’t babies any more. Alexis was now three. They had decided to enroll her into a bilingual day care. Sonja found the time to get her Spanish books back out and began to communicate with her daughter in the foreign language at home.

Six weeks after CJ started full time school, Sonja was called in to the Deputy Director’s office. “Well Agent Percy, you must know that we are trying to gather ourselves back together after the four years that the agency was seemingly dismantled. We have moved several key operations to Redstone (Arsenal). I am going to ask you about transferring there in the Terrorist Explosive Devices Analytical Center training program. I know you have a spouse and a family. While others may not consider the ramifications, I know how it is. My spouse is a lawyer and she was firm that she was not moving and starting over again after this D.C. posting.

Sonja replied “I’ll visit with him tonight” knowing full well that Christopher LaSalle would not object to returning to the place of his birth and his precious “Roll Tide” nation! A winter move was not something she looked forward to including trying to sell the house. Much to their surprise they had made some inquiries with the agent who they purchased their home through. “It just so happens that I had a contact from an Air Force pilot who is rotating out of Europe to Mc Quire who wanted me to look for something for his family. His mother-in-law will be joining them this tour to help with their new infant. It worked out that they could spend Christmas in their current home and then fly down as a family to visit LaSalle’s mother and sister and drive up to Huntsville and house hunt.

This move, LaSalle decided would be their retirement home. He found a plot of land outside of Huntsville. They modified a plan of the builder and built a beautiful raised ranch on 2 acres of land close to the Flint river.


	8. Love Never Ends

Sonja was wondering where the time had gone as she finished up the design of an invitation to celebrate Christopher’s 75th birthday. She had spoken with a few of their long-time acquaintances and was not surprised that only two could make the journey to the LaSalle farm.

Sabastian, ever the expert in documentation had suggested that they compile photos from his life into video. Sonja was happy and thought that would be a hit because she had gathered many photos from Chris’ sister over the years and what she was missing she was able to glean from her many albums. Sonja looked at the video several times before the party. She stopped it a several times to recount her own interaction with those who were no longer with them. Once again, she was reminded how happy and how close Christopher had been to his brother and their sister as they grew up and departed into the world to seek their own fortunes.

The party was a big success with both of their children, many of the first cousins. All of Christopher’s grandchildren and grand nieces and nephews were in attendance. Two tiny babies were also present completing the three generations. Sonja had rented a bus to transverse the distance between the Mother LaSalle’s homeplace and Beau LaSalle’s farm with the swimming pool and the horses. Miss Rose’s own children were kind enough to open the property to the LaSalle clan for the weekend.

Late Sunday afternoon after everyone had departed, Sonja and Chris rode up to the top of the mountain and stayed overnight once more at the cabin on the property. It had been a getaway spot for them after Sonja would return from another unnamed location during her assignment at the Arsenal. Christopher would lie on the bed and count the crickets. Sonja just heard annoying noise, but Chris could tell how many insects were out there chirping by the direction of the sound from each of the bugs.

The youngest Christopher LaSalle came to fetch his grandparents just before noon. “Yes, grand dad, the house is all clean. I did the walk through as you expected and hauled all the garbage down to the recycle center.” I took care of the cleaning bill as well.

Percy and LaSalle loved it that most of the grandchildren were within a few hours of their retirement home. There was always someone visiting especially when the seasons were about to change. Getting the boat ready for the water or storing it for the winter months, raking the massive yard and covering the roses provided plenty of opportunities for the next generation to learn about the land and how to care for it. 

Sonja’s garden had expanded as each year passed by. The grapevines and fruit trees always seemed to have plenty of items that needed harvested and each spring the green items had to be planted. Christopher’s sister was a master canner and her talent insured that freshly canned or frozen fruits and veggies were available year around. Chris had made sure that when the basement of the house was excavated, he put a root cellar in that would house root plantings like potatoes, apples and pears to survive until the next year’s crop was harvested.

The LaSalle’s sat on the deck watching this year’s crew working away. They would celebrate their 41st year of marriage in a few months. Sonja disappeared then suddenly reappeared with the wedding albums. Once again, she sat in that small space on his Adirondack chair as they both flipped through the pictures recalling that wonderful wedding day at the Army and Navy Club in D.C. with all of their loved ones and friends. “So where did the time go City Mouse” Chris asked her? “I don’t know Butch, but I do know it has been one wild ride after another.”


End file.
